What is your ammo of choice?

[alamo5000]

OK here is my delimma (so to speak)...

I am mid testing of my AR because for some reason I just like to know how good it can get, to know my weapon, and what (if anything) my barrel prefers. Knowing your ammo is a really big deal if you are shooting precision, but for other things maybe not as much, but it's nice to have consistency I guess.

I have boxes of different ammo. 55gr, 62gr, 64gr, and 69gr. Some of the stuff is .223 and others is 5.56.

There is a method to my madness so to speak because once I settle on a grain weight I will buy a couple cases of 1000 to have around the house. It seems like 55gr is the most popular, but I don't know why this is. Maybe it's just cheaper to make.

Obviously I have more than one kind of shooting I do. I have my plinking around stuff which could be almost anything, but so far I am drawn more to 62 gr. My initial first round of tests showed that to do good, it's plentiful, and not too expensive.

For my accuracy stuff and for those days when I just want to see if I can make the holes touch, I can either buy some match grade or get the stuff to make my own...either case isn't a problem. But general use I want to shoot something decent that isn't over priced.

I am pretty much leaning towards stocking up on some 62gr but I am not sure if I am just over thinking this or not. Once I decide for sure I need to figure out which 62 (brand etc).

So here's a poll for everyone:

Do you shoot just whatever you can find or do you more 'hand pick' what you like?

For bonus points: Am I over thinking this whole ammo thing?

Does anyone keep a mag around the house for SD? If so what's your preference for that?

Does anyone use the steel tip penetrator rounds for general shooting? (I am shying away from these in any large amount for a number of reasons but I would like to hear opinions). What about cheap steel cases? Also what about those nickel cases? Personally I won't let steel cases touch my AR and I tend to like brass better.

Case and point, for different applications on an AR platform (extreme accuracy, everyday plinking, self defense, etc) does anyone have a preference for one thing over another, if so what are they?

As of right now I am leaning to .62 gr because of the mix of price and performance (so far). But I have yet to determine which 62's I will stock up on. A nice balance between good price and good performance would be ideal.

[Dstrbdmedic167]

Well I have a somewhat similar method. Before I started reloading I would find every type of ammo I could find. Would shoot ½ a box of each on one outing taking some time between shots etc etc. Would keep targets and measurements. Then go back on a different day and setting and see if I could reproduce the same effect or better from before. I would plink the junk that didn't shoot and would load up on the diff that did.

I also have no problem shooting steel cases ammo for mag dumps and just range fun. It's not gonna cause super crazy wear on anything like most people think.

As far as Green tip ammo, I have some but it's more my SHTF type ammo, even though it shoots awesome. I do have a shooting buddy that shoots only that. I do have a mag readily available of it.

But now that I reload I have a 50 cal ammo can full of 55gr FMJ that I've tailored to my rifle.

[alamo5000]

But now that I reload I have a 50 cal ammo can full of 55gr FMJ that I've tailored to my rifle.

I will more than likely make some very specific rounds for my rifle just like you did. My problem as of late is that I don't have time to mess with it as much as I used to. But it would be great to have say 1000 rounds of my accuracy loads...but I have options on the whole reloading thing. I have reloaded pistol ammo for a long time and have that down to a science. Rifle rounds are a different subject.

For the time being I might just pick up a case or two of ammo though. I have a few cases of 7.62x39 and I have to admit that's been pretty nice to just be able to go dip in from time to time and go shoot. And when I get low... pick up another case.

My AR being what it is and built like it is though... I am too tempted to want to shoot match grade ammo all day every day.

[Dstrbdmedic167]

My AR being what it is and built like it is though... I am too tempted to want to shoot match grade ammo all day every day.

Yea it is a nice one! But an my first DPMS with T&E PSA barrel shot the same with BS ammo as my RA ultra match does with BS ammo. There difference lies when you have the ability to pull out some Match ammo and make one big hole. Lol... Not sidetracking but you know what I'm getting at.

In short I guess what I'm saying is for pulling the trigger for the sake of it get the absolute cheapest you can and when you need to pull out the good stuff. The barrel won't know or yell at you....

[Ordnance]

As was said earlier but varied a bit... I would buy boxes ranging from 55 up to 78gr (depending on twist), then shoot round robin groups at 100yds with glass. Shoot the first set round robin starting at 55 working up 78, 5 shot groups, then do it in reverse from 78 down to 55. I don't worry about the barrel cooling except in between the 2 round robins. Then look at the groups and see which 2-3 look the best. Then shoot them again but this time shoot all 5 of each group in a row and let the gun cool inbetween. Now keep in mind this is only what I would do is if all you have is a rifle and box ammo. If you have access to a good chronograph then it changes since I would want to look at ES and SD as well when picking groups because I also want which ever is the lowest of the 2. Too many guys fixate on speed, but if its all over the place grouping and with a huge ES, then you're sacrificing real accuracy.

Add: In case the readers are unsure of what round robin means... Shoot 1 shot 55, 62, 69, 77, 78 from left to right, then repeat 4 more times. Not shooting 5 shots of 55, then 5 shots of 62, etc. I like this method even for my match rigs because you don't have time between shots for the barrel to cool and you need to know what it's doing as it heats up, not just on cold bore.

[alamo5000]

I just did some back yard testing... I zeroed my rifle the other day using 69 grain match grade ammo. That's good and all. I went out today with a few rounds (six) and got very decent groupings. The problem is that stuff is about $1 a round.

Then I shot some Independence 5.56 55 grain. Man! I could tell a difference. More ompa in the ooomp with that. And my shots were dead center only a few inches high from my aim point (where the 69 was on). With that ammo I got a 1 inch group shooting off a bipod while laying on the ground. Finally I shot some Hornaday 55 grain .223 and again I was dead center but I had a different impact point.

This little experiment taught me that I have a little knob on the top of my scope that says 'up' and 'down' and I have learned more or less where I need to adjust it depending on what I am shooting.

I am going to re-run the test again at a later date and see if it's the same. That is one more reason why I might want to get one grain of one brand and just stick with it. It might not be a perfect load but at least I will know what to expect.

One other thing this is the first time I have shot true 5.56 through my rifle, which has a 5.56 chamber. I can say that I like the 5.56. I can tell a difference between that and .223. The heavier grain .223 69 grain had some punch to it.... but the 5.56 55 grain seemed just a better fit. It was faster and punchier. If I can find some 62 grain 5.56 ammo that just might be what the doctor ordered.

[Ordnance]

Yea it is a nice one! But an my first DPMS with T&E PSA barrel shot the same with BS ammo as my RA ultra match does with BS ammo. There difference lies when you have the ability to pull out some Match ammo and make one big hole. Lol... Not sidetracking but you know what I'm getting at.

In short I guess what I'm saying is for pulling the trigger for the sake of it get the absolute cheapest you can and when you need to pull out the good stuff. The barrel won't know or yell at you....

One issue though man... bad ammo creates bad habits in a lot of people. They get used to poor accuracy and they don't notice when their follow through and other fundamentals are being ignored because they aren't seeing positive results. I understand if it's just iron sight plinking for fun, but if you're shooting for accuracy then shoot for accuracy. I'd rather be limited to 20 rds of pure accuracy down range, then 100rds of all over the place and stepping off range with the wrong muscle memory.

I read an article someone wrote once about the Samurai archers and it was a great principal. Every day they would go out with their bow, set-up say 50' from the target and take shot. Then, they would move back say 10' and take another shot. They would continue until they finally missed the target, then go back forward to the last place they hit the target then make the shot again and not fire an arrow for the rest of the day. They never left the range without positive muscle memory. Just some food for thought. And the article was written much better than I'm articulating, but hopefully the gist is still there.

[Dstrbdmedic167]

Ohh I do and I completely agree with that. I'm talking more in the idea of at the end of the day and you just want to burn a mag to burn it. Lord knows see all have at one point or another and I don't want to use my "good" ammo for that

[Ordnance]

I just did some back yard testing... I zeroed my rifle the other day using 69 grain match grade ammo. That's good and all. I went out today with a few rounds (six) and got very decent groupings. The problem is that stuff is about $1 a round.

Then I shot some Independence 5.56 55 grain. Man! I could tell a difference. More ompa in the ooomp with that. And my shots were dead center only a few inches high from my aim point (where the 69 was on). With that ammo I got a 1 inch group shooting off a bipod while laying on the ground. Finally I shot some Hornaday 55 grain .223 and again I was dead center but I had a different impact point.

This little experiment taught me that I have a little knob on the top of my scope that says 'up' and 'down' and I have learned more or less where I need to adjust it depending on what I am shooting.

I am going to re-run the test again at a later date and see if it's the same. That is one more reason why I might want to get one grain of one brand and just stick with it. It might not be a perfect load but at least I will know what to expect.

One other thing this is the first time I have shot true 5.56 through my rifle, which has a 5.56 chamber. I can say that I like the 5.56. I can tell a difference between that and .223. The heavier grain .223 69 grain had some punch to it.... but the 5.56 55 grain seemed just a better fit. It was faster and punchier. If I can find some 62 grain 5.56 ammo that just might be what the doctor ordered.

Every type of ammo will likely have a different impact point, and some will just happen to line up. This is why keeping a good log book is key. I know where my zero is for my LR stuff like 77 SMK, and then I know exactly where my new POI will be for the 64 GDHP to adjust accordingly. It's no different then logging your cold bore shot which you should also be doing. Every rifle has a load they'll like best based on the harmonics and the node. For some it may be a 55gr pill while others might be a 62, or a 69, etc. Faster and punchier aren't as important as what's accurate.

[Ordnance]

Ohh I do and I completely agree with that. I'm talking more in the idea of at the end of the day and you just want to burn a mag to burn it. Lord knows see all have at one point or another and I don't want to use my "good" ammo for that

Can't argue that, lol... I figured that was what you meant, but I wanted to expound on it since some people may not understand that. The only time I ever felt compelled to let loose on an M4 fun button was because someone else is paying to feed it.

[Dstrbdmedic167]

Can't argue that, lol... I figured that was what you meant, but I wanted to expound on it since some people may not understand that. The only time I ever felt compelled to let loose on an M4 fun button was because someone else is paying to feed it.

Yea I've never been that fortunate lol...

[alamo5000]

As was said earlier but varied a bit... I would buy boxes ranging from 55 up to 78gr (depending on twist), then shoot round robin groups at 100yds with glass. Shoot the first set round robin starting at 55 working up 78, 5 shot groups, then do it in reverse from 78 down to 55. I don't worry about the barrel cooling except in between the 2 round robins. Then look at the groups and see which 2-3 look the best. Then shoot them again but this time shoot all 5 of each group in a row and let the gun cool inbetween. Now keep in mind this is only what I would do is if all you have is a rifle and box ammo. If you have access to a good chronograph then it changes since I would want to look at ES and SD as well when picking groups because I also want which ever is the lowest of the 2. Too many guys fixate on speed, but if its all over the place grouping and with a huge ES, then you're sacrificing real accuracy.

Add: In case the readers are unsure of what round robin means... Shoot 1 shot 55, 62, 69, 77, 78 from left to right, then repeat 4 more times. Not shooting 5 shots of 55, then 5 shots of 62, etc. I like this method even for my match rigs because you don't have time between shots for the barrel to cool and you need to know what it's doing as it heats up, not just on cold bore.

I have a chronograph but I didn't dig it out for my tests. What I am after is some already made up ammo that I can just buy. And for my nice ammo I will make that more to a precise spec. It's gonna be plinking ammo (the stuff I buy) but I want it to be sort of good. But it doesn't need to be match good.

When I get to making some real accuracy loads I will do that for sure... but so far...and after todays preliminary test I am looking at 62 grains in 5.56 (not .223) with no steel penetrators.

I might buy some steel penetrators but not for now. I also might get some 62 grain soft points for around the house. That can be my special mag.

All my tests are preliminary but so far this is how I am leaning. I liked that 5.56... more punchy.

[Dstrbdmedic167]

PMC X-Tac was always good in my book!

[alamo5000]

Every type of ammo will likely have a different impact point, and some will just happen to line up. This is why keeping a good log book is key. I know where my zero is for my LR stuff like 77 SMK, and then I know exactly where my new POI will be for the 64 GDHP to adjust accordingly. It's no different then logging your cold bore shot which you should also be doing. Every rifle has a load they'll like best based on the harmonics and the node. For some it may be a 55gr pill while others might be a 62, or a 69, etc. Faster and punchier aren't as important as what's accurate.

What's a node?

I definitely need to keep a log book.

I went through two mags just this morning... so my results are very preliminary.

I pretty much know now that my scope is on but now I just need to find that magic load. I don't really want to get too far off the reservation with some odd grain weight... but for my all purpose rounds if I can get 1" at 100 I am more than satisfied. I might get sub moa with other ammo but I am being sort of picky about what I want to get in the way of 'plinker ammo'.

Building some really sub MOA stuff is possible for sure but for this point in time I am trying to narrow down where my best choices are going to be...

I tried shooting some monarch ammo that someone gave me... it wasn't all that great. I am trying to balance price with accuracy and an all around plinker round with my fanatical feelings about accuracy

[alamo5000]

The only time I ever felt compelled to let loose on an M4 fun button was because someone else is paying to feed it.

I am the same way.

While I like that stuff it's a novelty to me.

My ammo that I will buy doesn't have to be perfect I just want it to be relatively consistent. And not consistently crappy. Once I know what to expect after the bang I can start training more with it.

It's like that old saying among golfers... 'beware of the guy with an old set of golf clubs and a really dark tan'...